Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Wednesday it was important for President Donald Trump to clarify the comments he made during a press conference alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he warned against the president considering the Russian leader a friend.

"I equate the relationship to a prison guard for Jeffrey Dahmer," Kinzinger toldFox News' "Outnumbered Overtime.""You can have a relationship with Jeffrey Dahmer, as his prison guard, but don't be his friend because he's a really bad guy, that's the situation I think we are in with Vladimir Putin."

Kinzinger said he does agree Trump has been one of the most tough presidents on Russia.

"Look at all of the sanctions, the killing of Russian mercenaries in defense of our troops, a host of other things," he added. "They've been very aggressive. But the press conference was unfortunate because words from the president have meaning."

He repeated it is OK to have a relationship with Putin, as leaders of major nations should do.

"But to have a friendship is different with a guy who literally every day is bombing schools and hospitals by his direction. It's a big deal," Kinzinger said.

He said he also considers it Trump's prerogative to have met with Putin in private, but that also is a problem as it is Trump's word "against people on the left that don't believe a word he says."

Kinzinger does not agree, though, with calls to subpoena the interpreter from the meeting to testify before Congress.

"The president has a prerogative to do foreign policy policy," Kinzinger said. "If we take away his ability to carry out foreign policy, even if you don't like it, from the meeting with Vladimir Putin, nor you're going to say the interpreter is subject to being called in front of Congress, I think that's wrong, and I would've said the same thing if it was President [Barack] Obama in this situation.

"The president has a lot of authority, and while you may not agree with what he chose to do, that doesn't mean that he was wrong in doing it and we have to subpoena everybody in the room."

Adam Kinzinger is a member of the Air National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.